Finding Mastery: Conversations With Michael Gervais

This week’s conversation is with Dr. Ethan Kross, one of the world’s leading experts on controlling the conscious mind. After graduating magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania, Ethan earned his Ph.D. in Psychology from Columbia University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in social-affective neuroscience to learn about the neural systems that support self-control. He moved to the University of Michigan in 2008, where he founded the Emotion & Self Control Laboratory.As an award-winning professor in the University of Michigan’s top-ranked Psychology Department and its Ross School of Business, Ethan studies how the conversations people have with themselves impact their health, performance, decisions, and relationships.And Ethan just published his first book, Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It.I’d be surprised if anyone listening hasn’t experienced what Ethan describes as “Chatter.”That process where you have a thought such as, “Why did I screw u

This week’s conversation is with Max Lugavere, a filmmaker, health and science journalist and author of the The Genius Life and the New York Times best-seller Genius Foods: Become Smarter, Happier, and More Productive While Protecting Your Brain for Life.Max appears regularly on the Dr. Oz Show, the Rachael Ray Show, and The Doctors. After his mother was diagnosed with a mysterious form of dementia, Max put his successful media career on hold to learn everything he could about brain health and performance.For the better half of a decade, he consumed the most up-to-date scientific research, talked to dozens of leading scientists and clinicians around the world, and visited the country’s best neurology departments—all in the hopes of understanding his mother’s condition. Sometimes with the non-traditional route of education, I have my doubts, as there's something to be said about formal training.But Max’s purpose is clear – he knows what he’s talking about and offers some very practical strategie

This week’s conversation is with Cal Newport, an associate professor of computer science at Georgetown University, where he specializes in the theory of distributed systems.Cal is also a New York Times bestselling author who writes about the intersection of technology and culture. He’s the author of seven books, including Digital Minimalism and Deep Work, which have been published in over thirty languages. In his latest book titled, A World Without Email, he makes the case that our current approach to work is broken, then lays out a series of principles and concrete instructions for fixing it.And that sets the tone for this conversation.We discuss how the modern work ecosystem has created the hyperactive hivemind… where everyone just grabs anyone as needed.As Cal puts it, it’s convenient and flexible, but it's melting our brains and it's burning us out. -----Please support our partners!We're able to keep growing and creating content for YOU because of their support. We believe in thei

This week’s conversation is with Dr. Trudy Goodman, the founding teacher of InsightLA and cofounder of the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy. Trudy has trained in mindfulness and Zen since 1973, holds a graduate degree in developmental psychology from Harvard, and is one of the senior Buddhist teachers in the U.S.  She has taught at universities and retreat centers worldwide for 25 years. Trudy is widely known for her role as Trudy the Love Barbarian in the Netflix series "Midnight Gospel”. She is a contributing author to the Clinical Handbook of Mindfulness, Compassion and Wisdom in Psychotherapy, and Mindfulness and Psychotherapy.And she’s also married to Jack Kornfield, who we were fortunate to have on the podcast just a few weeks back!Trudy is a truly, a special human being.In this conversation we discuss so much… the importance of trusting yourself and why that ultimately starts with loving yourself, which can be a big hurdle for some of us.We also touch on Trudy's 

This week’s conversation is with Morgan Housel, a partner at The Collaborative Fund and a former columnist at The Motley Fool and The Wall Street Journal. He is a two-time winner of the Best in Business Award from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, winner of the New York Times Sidney Award, and a two-time finalist for the Gerald Loeb Award for Distinguished Business and Financial Journalism.Morgan recently published a book titled, The Psychology of Money, and it’s the impetus for why I wanted to talk to him.If you’ve listened to this podcast for a while, you know I live by this stance: having a philosophy for your life is imperative...What I hope you take from this conversation is that the same can be said for how you think about money.There isn’t simply one "right" way to manage your money, but it should align with the greater values you live by.At one point in our conversation, Morgan shares that he doesn’t have a mortgage on his house, that he owns it outright.I was a bit stump

This week’s conversation is with Dr. David Rabin, MD, PhD, a neuroscientist, board-certified psychiatrist, health tech entrepreneur & inventor who has been studying the impact of chronic stress in humans for more than a decade.David has always been fascinated by consciousness and our inherent ability to heal ourselves from injury and illness.As such, he has specifically focused his research on the clinical translation of non-invasive therapies for patients with treatment-resistant illnesses like PTSD and substance use disorders.David is the co-founder & chief innovation officer at Apollo Neuroscience, which has developed the first scientifically-validated wearable technology that actively improves energy, focus & relaxation, using a novel touch therapy that signals safety to the brain.This is one of the reasons I’ve been so excited about our partnership with Apollo so I can’t wait for you to learn from David, he is an amazing human being.In this conversation, we discuss how powerful the human

This week’s conversation is with Nneka Ogwumike the 2016 WNBA MVP, WNBA Champion, and 1st overall pick of the Los Angeles Sparks in the 2012 WNBA Draft.Nneka is on a mission to inspire others to discover their greatness with an open heart, enthusiasm, integrity, courage, and compassion.She is currently serving as President of the WNBA Players’ Association (WNBPA) and successfully led the group in its renegotiation of a groundbreaking WNBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.She is a six-time WNBA All-Star, three-time All-WNBA selection, three-time All-Defensive WNBA selection and was the 2012 WNBA Rookie of the Year. A graduate of Stanford University with a BA in Psychology, Nneka led the school to four consecutive Final Four appearances.Hailing from one of sport’s most dynamic families, Nneka is the oldest of four sisters who have played Division I basketball.With her sister Chiney's selection as the 1st overall pick by the Connecticut Sun in the 2014 WNBA Draft, the family made history, joining Peyton an

This week’s conversation is with Alex Fiance and Ankur Jain, the co-founder’s and co-CEO’s of Kairos.Kairos is focused on solutions that can help solve the affordability crisis for the everyday consumer.Alex has been leading Kairos since 2013, transforming the company from its roots as a student-run organization into its current focus on building a family of brands designed to make life more affordable.Ankur launched Kairos in 2008 as a talent incubator and has been recognized for a variety of achievements including the Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2017.You may remember Alex from the mini-series we did a few years ago called “The Process” where we learned about young entrepreneurs tackling some of the world’s biggest problems.Considering how many people are struggling to get by right now, I thought this would be a timely moment to have Alex back on, along with Ankur.I wanted them to catch us up to speed… What progress they have made? And how have they adjusted where they were wrong?Alex

This week’s conversation is with Jimmy Chin, an Academy Award winning filmmaker, National Geographic photographer and professional mountain sports athlete.He has led or participated in cutting edge expeditions around the world for over 20 years.Jimmy has climbed and skied Mount Everest from the summit and made significant first ascents on all seven continents including the coveted first ascent of the Shark’s Fin on Mount Meru.For those of you unfamiliar with Meru, it’s the sacred five-peaked mountain of Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist cosmology and is considered to be the center of all the physical, metaphysical and spiritual universes.Jimmy’s photographs have graced numerous covers of National Geographic Magazine and the New York Times Magazine.He co-produces and co-directs with his wife Chai Vasarhelyi.Their film Meru won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015 and was on the 2016 Oscar shortlist for Best Documentary Feature.Their latest documentary Free Solo, featuring Alex Honnold, won a B

This week’s conversation is with Alexi Pappas, an Olympic runner and an award-winning actor and writer.A Greek-American, Alexi is the Greek national record holder in the 10,000 meters.She graduated magna cum laude from Dartmouth College and also ran for the University of Oregon as a 5th year, leading the team to two NCAA victories.Alexi has been profiled on the cover of the New York Times Sports Page, in Rolling Stone, on NPR's All Things Considered, and was also featured on the cover of Runner's World Magazine's 50th anniversary issu, named as one of the two faces of the "new boom" in running.Her memoir-in-essays, "Bravey," with a foreword by Maya Rudolph was just released – and it’s the reason I wanted to have this conversation.Now more than ever – mental health is at the forefront of what so many of us are dealing with.My hope is that Alexi’s story – one of overcoming depression and seeing a grander version of what her future could look like can help you or a loved one get through any challenges of your ow

This week’s conversation is with Henry Fraser, a talented artist, who paints stunning landscapes, animals, portraits, and more.There’s one caveat -- he draws using his mouth, as an accident years ago left him paralysed from the neck down.So that would beg the question, how did he learn to paint?He began by using a stylus on his iPad, which he held using his mouth to draw.He then taught himself to use a pencil, and then paint, by fixing the utensils required a stick attached to his mouth.Henry is also an author – he wrote The Little Big Things, which won Non Fiction Book Of The Year by WHSmith.Losing your ability to move from the shoulders down at age 17 – that’s up there with the most difficult circumstances I can imagine someone having to deal with.So with that context, I think you can get an idea of why I wanted to speak with Henry.This conversation is about acceptance, resiliency, and gratitude.It’s about making the best of a situation, no matter how bad things seem on the surface.-----Please support

This week’s conversation is with Jack Kornfield, a PhD, who holds a doctorate in clinical psychology.He has trained as a Buddhist monk in the monasteries of Thailand, India, and Burma, and is a founding teacher of the Insight Meditation Society, and the Spirit Rock Center.Jack is one of the key teachers to introduce mindfulness practice to the west and has taught meditation internationally since 1974.His 14 books include A Path with Heart; A Lamp in the Darkness; After the Ecstasy, the Laundry; The Wise Heart; and No Time Like the Present: Finding Freedom, Love, and Joy Right Where You Are.I couldn’t think of better conversation to get us rolling in 2021.We cover all things related to mindfulness — tools for getting better at quieting your mind, managing self-critique, vulnerability and so much more.-----Please support our partners!We're able to keep growing and creating content for YOU because of their support. We believe in their mission and would appreciate you

This week’s conversation is with Lindsay-Rae McIntyre, the Corporate Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer at Microsoft. From thought leadership, to operational execution, to employee engagement, Lindsay leads Microsoft’s strategic efforts on systemic solutions to advance diversity and inclusion guided by a commitment to be mission-driven, outcome-oriented, globally-informed, science-based, and culturally-competent.She spearheaded the publication of Microsoft’s first Diversity & Inclusion Report and shaped the company’s recent action-oriented response to racial injustice.Under her leadership, her global team of human resources and employee engagement strategists are driving the adoption of Microsoft’s Core Priority for Diversity & Inclusion, introducing new solutions to advance inclusive behaviors and habits including Microsoft’s Allyship Program and employee self-identification, and helping leaders embrace their inclusion learning journey.You may have already heard a snippet of our conversa

This week’s conversation is with Owen Eastwood, a Performance Coach engaged by high profile teams around the world hunting for a competitive advantage through their culture.He currently works with the British Olympic and English football teams and has previously worked with diverse teams such as the Command Group of NATO, the South African cricket team, corporate leadership teams and in elite ballet.Owen’s a New Zealander with a unique approach based on an evolutionary understanding of what makes teams of humans strong and weak.There are some incredible insights and some wonderful ancient wisdoms that we have stopped listening to and Owen’s mission is to re-introduce people to those ideas.He introduced me to a concept I love called “Whakapapa” – something the famous New Zealand men’s national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks, has built their culture around.Essentially the shirt is more important than any individual.You wear the shirt with a sense of pride and a sense of duty.A

This week’s conversation is with James Clear, a writer and speaker focused on habits, decision-making, and continuous improvement.He is the author of the New York Times bestseller, Atomic Habits.His work has appeared in Entrepreneur magazine, Time magazine, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and on CBS This Morning.His website, jamesclear.com, receives millions of visitors each month and hundreds of thousands subscribe to his popular email newsletter.So why do habits matter?We all have tons of habits, things like signing your name or knocking on the door, ringing the doorbell, tying your shoes or unplugging the toaster after each use... but how do we build more important or meaningful routines around things that really matter to us?For James, it starts with choosing what you want to optimize for and the type of identity that you want to reinforce, the type of person you want to become.So in this conversation, we dive into some best practices for habit development and how to create a system that

This week’s conversation is unique – it’s with Lauryn Evarts Bosstick and Michael Bosstick, our first husband and wife duo on Finding Mastery and it definitely doesn’t disappoint! Lauryn and Michael host a top podcast called The Skinny Confidential: HIM & HERMichael is also the CEO and Co-Founder of the Dear Media Podcast Network, the first and leading podcast network focused on female voices, audiences, and narratives.Before they had the podcast, Lauryn simply had a passion for beauty, wellness and no-censor advice.It all started as a small blog and today their podcast, The Skinny Confidential: HIM & HER, has over 75 million downloads.I’ve had the pleasure of being a guest on their podcast twice – you can check out my latest episode here.So this time, we decided to turn the mic’s on them and in my opinion the timing couldn’t be more perfect.Lauryn just had a baby, Michael is running a rapidly growing business and they’re stuck at home just like the rest of us.We talk about how to maintain a heal

This week’s conversation is with Sergey Young, a longevity investor with a mission to extend healthy lifespans of at least one billion people.Building on his investment expertise, which spans over 20 years, Sergey founded the $100M Longevity Vision Fund to accelerate life extension breakthroughs and to make them affordable and accessible to all.The investment focus of Longevity Vision Fund includes technologies, products, and services that extend healthy human lifespans and mitigate the negative effects of aging Sergey also manages a $2bln private equity fund and heads Peak State Ventures, a US-based fund with a focus on new technologies in real estate, digital healthcare and the Future of Work. He’s an Innovation Board member at XPRIZE Foundation, Development Sponsor of Age Reversal XPRIZE, and a Forbes Tech Council member.In this conversation, we discuss which breakthrough technologies Sergey is investing in to help people live longer.For Sergey, what’s possible from a technological

The events of this summer plunged us into a period of racial reckoning and soul searching. Waves of protests and demonstrations across the globe pushed race to the center of our social discourse. People are hopeful that this complex, fraught moment is the beginning of a real meaningful movement towards racial equality.But change starts within. The beliefs, attitudes, and stories that we carry shape the lens through which we see other, and ourselves. I had a series of conversations with friends inside out community who are deeply engaged in the struggle for racial equality. The purpose -- to explore how we can build the internal skillsets to create the change we want to see in the world. I’m honored to be doing special episode of the Finding Mastery podcast in partnership with Microsoft. I hope you appreciate the lived experiences and applied insights of these remarkable leaders as much as I do.Joining me for this podcast:Baratunde Thurston, Activist, ComedianTianna Bartoletta, Olympia

This week’s conversation is with Dr. Donald Hoffman a Professor of Cognitive Sciences at the University of California, Irvine.I got introduced to Donald through the legendary Deepak Chopra so I was very excited to speak with Donald…Donald received a PhD from MIT and is an author of over 120 scientific papers and three books, including The Case Against Reality: Why Evolution Hid the Truth from Our Eyes.He received a Distinguished Scientific Award of the American Psychological Association for early career research, the Rustum Roy Award of the Chopra Foundation, and the Troland Research Award of the US National Academy of Sciences.His writing has appeared in Scientific American, New Scientist, LA Review of Books, and Edge, and his work has been featured in Wired, Quanta, The Atlantic, Ars Technica, National Public Radio, Discover Magazine, and Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman.He has a TED Talk titled “Do we see reality as it is?” and that sets t

This week’s conversation is with Glennon Doyle, the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller UNTAMED, a Reese’s Book Club selection.She’s also the author of New York Times bestsellers LOVE WARRIOR (an Oprah’s Book Club selection) and CARRY ON, WARRIOR.An activist and thought leader, Glennon is the founder and president of Together Rising, an all-women led nonprofit organization that has revolutionized grassroots philanthropy – raising over $25 million for women, families, and children in crisis.You might also be familiar with her wife, former U.S. women’s national team soccer star, Abby Wambach, a previous Finding Mastery guest.In this conversation, Glennon shares how getting sober shaped her life’s purpose… an absolute dedication to telling the truth, to not having secrets, to not having shame, to living as close to integrity as she can imagine.For Glennon, integrity just means integrated.Aligning her outer life… her outer words and actions, with her inner self, so that she doesn’t live